Integra DTR-8.8 A/V Receiver
March 8, 2008
Everybody’s heard of Onkyo. Sister brand Integra is more of a well-kept secret. Like Pioneer Elite or Sony ES, Integra is a step-up brand for consumers who want a higher-performing or more versatile product. Integra is more oriented toward various aspects of custom installation, including high-end home theater, multizone audio, and networked audio. It’s sold only through A/V specialty retailers, not online or via mail order.
When it comes to accommodating the latest technology, the DTR-8.8 doesn’t miss a trick. Audyssey MultEQ XT goes way beyond most auto-setup and room-correction circuits by measuring up to eight points in the room, ensuring that every seat in the house gets a fair shot at sounding good. The video process
or—the Silicon Optix HQV Reon-VX—will probably improve on that in your DVD player unless the latter is newish and expensive. Add the right antenna(s), and your Sirius, XM, FM, AM, or HD Radio fix is on the way.
Your digital music library will not be neglected. You can stream MP3, WMA, WAV, and M4A files from your PC via the receiver’s Ethernet jack. There’s Internet radio capability with 20 presets. Front-panel USB enables you to connect not only a Windows PlaysForSure music player but also a USB thumb drive or external hard drive. With cheap hard drives costing roughly a hundred bucks, you can have the basic functionality of a hard-drive audio server without really paying for one. Sweet.
What with all the fancy stuff, it’s easy to forget that the DTR-8.8 doesn’t neglect the performance fundamentals. It’s THX Ultra2 certified and, therefore, capable of running THX-certified speakers at high, perhaps even deafening, levels in rooms of up to 3,000 cubic feet.
For the full review, head over to : http://www.hometheatermag.com/receivers/408integra/
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